Kanunnah : research journal of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery

2005·7.8 MB·d

by  Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery

Royal Botanic Gardens
Melbourne
14 JUL 2008
LIBRARY
KANUNNAH =
Research Journalofthe == S
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery |
VOLUME2 (2008)
|

KANUN
Royal Botanic Gardens
The Research Journal df the Melbourne
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
1^ JUL 2008
VOLUME 2
LIBRARY
Ka-nunnah - ‘Thylacine’
The oldest fossils of thylacines are Late Oligo- and the North-west and Western Tribes called it
cene to Middle Miocene in age (20-25 My B.P.) ‘Loarinnah’ (Milligan 1859). Famous Tasmanian
and are from the Riversleigh deposits in north- Aboriginal chief Mannalargenna from the East
western Queensland (Vickers-Rich et al. 1991). Coast of Tasmania called the thylacine ‘Cab-
It is speculated that competition with introduced berr-one-nen-er’, while Truganinni and Worrady,
dingoes in mainland Australia may have caused (Bruny Island) called it ‘Can-nen-ner’.
their extinction in mainland Australia during The thylacine is the state logo for Tasmania.
the last 5000 years. The most recent remains of The title of the journal ‘Kanunnah’ commem-
thylacines in mainland Australia were dated at orates the Tasmanian Aboriginal word used
just over 3000 years old (Archer 1974). by tribes from southern Tasmania for the
The thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) in thylacine.
Tasmania coexisted with Aboriginal people
for millennia. The arrival of Europeans in Archer M (1974) New information about the
Tasmania resulted, in just over a hundred years, Quaternary distribution of the thylacine
in the extinction of thylacines from their last (Marsupialia: Thylacinidae) in Australia.
refuge. The demise of the thylacine resulted in Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of
the extinction of an entire lineage of marsupials Western Australia 57: 43-50.
from the planet. Milligan J (1859) Vocabulary of dialects of
To the Aboriginal people of Tasmania the Aboriginal Tribes of Tasmania. Papers and
thylacine was called many things due to its wide Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 3(2):
spread distribution in the State. Tribes from the 239-282.
areas of Mount Royal, Bruny Island, Recherche Vickers-Rich P, Monaghan JM, Baird RF,
Bay, and the south of Tasmania referred to the Rich TM (1991) Vertebrate Palaeontology of
Tiger as ‘Ka-nunnah’ or ‘Laoonana’, while tribes Australasia (Monash University Publications
from Oyster Bay to Pittwater called it ‘Langunta’ Committee: Melbourne).
Minister: Hon. Michelle O'Byrne MHA
Director: Mr Bill Bleathman
Managing Editor: Dr Andrew Rozefelds
Publication Date: 1 June 2008

KANUNNAH
The Research Journal of the
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery and Art Gallery. These areas include the
is a combined museum, art gallery and life sciences, culture, history and the arts.
state herbarium. It has the broadest col- Papers on any of these research areas will be
lection range of any single institution in considered, but papers dealing with Tasman-
Australia and these collections span the ian, southern Australian and sub-Antarctic
arts, sciences, history and technology. The issues will be particularly welcome.
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery's Short communications and reviews are
role is to collect, conserve and interpret also welcome. Researchers based outside
material evidence on the State's natural the institution are encouraged to submit
history and cultural heritage. manuscripts for publication to the journal,
Kanunnah is a peer-reviewed journal pub- although they must be relevant to the
lished by the Tasmanian Museum and Art Museum’s primary areas of study.
Gallery in Hobart, Tasmania. Its aim is to Kanunnah will be published once a year,
disseminate research in all areas of study depending upon budgetary considerations
undertaken by the Tasmanian Museum and available manuscripts.
Annual Subscriptions
Within Australia*
Individuals $30
Institutions $50
Overseas
Individuals and institutions (surface mail) $70
*This subscription includes an amount for GST (3.00/5.00)
Subscription details, with a cheque or money order made out to the
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery should be sent to:
Museum Shop
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
GPO Box 1164
Hobart Tas 7001 Australia
www.tmag.tas.gov.au
Cover illustration. The first TMAG Art Gallery, 1895 (detail).
J.W. BEATTIE, PHOTOGRAPHER. TMAG: Q2001.15.2.24
Kanunnah 2: 1-97, June 2008
Editorial team: Andrew C. Rozefelds,
Marco Duretto, Genefor Walker-Smith, Craig Judd, Peter Hughes
Editorial assistance: Lyn Wilson, Forty Degrees South Pty Ltd
Layout and design: Forty Degrees South Pty Ltd
Printer: Graphic Impressions
ISSN 1832-586X
Tasmania
Explore the possibilities
GPO Box 1164
Hobart Tas 7001 Australia
KANUNNAH
Volume 2 (2008)
CONTENTS
Joanne Huxley
Courtier to the powerful and zealous curator for the people:
the contribution of Alexander Morton to the Tasmanian
MusetimmandbArt ва егу 88481 ООНА 1
Andrew С. Rozefelds
Uniquely Tasmanian — A review of the phylogenetic and
biogeographical relationships of Tasmania's endemic
Уазсщагр!апбрепеташы ы Ж Жы Mc E ERE E И TS eoa TA 35
Penelope Greenslade and Mikhail Potapov
A new genus and species of Isotominae (Collembola: Isotomidae)
from cushion plants on sub-Antarctic Macquarie Island |... 87

COURTIER TO THE POWERFUL AND ZEALOUS CURATOR
FOR THE PEOPLE:
THE CONTRIBUTION OF ALEXANDER MORTON
TO THE TASMANIAN MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY,
1884-1907
Joanne K. Huxley
Huxley, J. K. 2008. Courtier to the powerful and zealous curator for
the people: The contribution of Alexander Morton to the Tasmanian
Museum and Art Gallery, 1884—1907. Kanunnah 2: 1-84. ISSN 1832-536X.
Alexander Morton was curator and later director of the Tasmanian
Museum and Art Gallery for twenty-three years from 1884 to 1907.
He presided over the most significant period of change and expansion
in the museum's history until the end of the twentieth century. The
expansion occurred both in terms of additions to the museum building,
which trebled in size in thirteen years, and in terms of the substantial
development of the collections and displays. The first public art gallery
in Tasmania opened in the extension to the building in 1889. It was also
a period in which the administration of the museum was transferred
from the Royal Society of Tasmania to the colonial government via a
board of trustees. This paper examines Morton's contribution, with a
particular focus on his public role as administrator and curator.
Joanne K. Huxley, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
GPO Box 1164, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia.
Email: [email protected]
KEY WORDS: Morton, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery,
Royal Society of Tasmania, Tasmanian history, museum history.
In her survey of the development of considerable energy and charisma could
colonial natural history museums during mobilise the power and financial sup-
the later nineteenth century, Susan Sheets- port necessary for the survival of their
Pyenson noted the special economic, museums’.! Although the history of an
political and academic challenges faced organisation is never the story of one
by colonial curators and the ‘paramount person, and the support and commitment
importance’ of a ‘dedicated director’ to the of the Royal Society of Tasmania must be
success of a museum. The personality of acknowledged, the special combination
the director was particularly important: of skills offered by Alexander Morton is
‘Only those directors who possessed the best explanation for the significant
KANUNNAH Joanne K. Huxley
development of the Tasmanian Museum style, noting his appearance as a 'courtier'
and Art Gallery (IMAG) between 1884 and his 'apparent sycophantic veneer'^ For
and 1907. These achievements occurred in the Clipper, however, such characteristics
spite of considerable financial limitations, were 'deliberately assumed for his pur-
with successive governments prepared to pose' and that purpose was for the benefit
fund building extensions but not prepared of the museum and community. Likewise,
to increase the maintenance vote. There historians have honoured Morton's con-
was also no public funding to assist with tribution. J. Somerville noted ‘his wide
acquisitions, a benefit available to some interests and faithful devotion to the
mainland Australian galleries in the later Society and to the Museum’ and how he
nineteenth century. ‘greatly enriched the Society by means of
Following Morton's death from heart collections, which were obtained through
disease at the age of 52, the Chairman of his zeal'? Gillian Winter and Peter Mercer
Trustees A.G. Webster, recorded the fol- identified the significance of Morton’s
. lowing tribute to him in the minute book: appointment; Winter noted particularly
his enthusiasm and energy, while Mercer
The Trustees desire to place on record
recognised Morton as the most influential
their deep sense of the services rendered
and farsighted of the early [MAG curators,
by the late Director Mr Morton, and of the
and emphasised his important role in
loss sustained by his death. It is recognised
organising the Tasmanian International
that to Mr Morton's efforts is largely due
Exhibition in Hobart, 1894-1895.’ Stefan
the two enlargements of the building and
Petrow acknowledged Morton’s valuable
to the same cause the valuable contents
contribution to the establishment of the
of the Art Gallery and the large additions
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery
to the Museum. To him alone is due the
in Launceston.
admirable order and arrangement of the
The Royal Society of Tasmania employed
specimens. On every side in the Museum
Morton in 1884 as curator and librarian; he
and also in the Gardens he has left a lasting
also became secretary of the society. He
monument to services which can hardly be
was the third curator of Australia’s second-
over-estimated.?
oldest museum, which was established in
Morton's value to the museum was widely 1848 by Australia’s oldest scientific society?
acknowledged and respected by contem- Morton had previously been employed
poraries, though not all were impressed by as curator’s assistant at the Australian
his management style. Honorary govern- Museum in Sydney. He was elected a
ment botanist, Leonard Rodway, believed fellow of the Royal Society in 1884" and
Morton's achievements at the museum Linnean Society, London, in 1889." He
came at the expense of the Botanical was a generalist, producing papers on a
Gardens and was critical of his dual role diverse range of subjects, with a particular
as curator and trustee secretary, at one interest in ichthyology and ornithology.”
stage describing him as a ‘crawler’ to the Morton was a curator and naturalist with a
establishment. The radical journal the national profile, particularly in terms of the
Clipper confirmed this aspect of Morton's exchanges he developed with mainland